Automatic variable-exhaust apparatus.



No. 696,639. I Patented Apr. I, 902. H. H'. HUFF.

AUTOMATIC VARIABLE EXHAUST APPARATUS.

(Application filed June 22, 1901.) (No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 696,639. Patented Apr. I, I902.

H. H. HUFF.

AUTOMATIC VARIABLE EXHAUST APPARATUS.

{Application filed June 22, 1901.)

(No Model.) I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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Patented Apr. I, I902.

H. H. HUFF. AUTOMATIC VARIABLE EXHAUST APPARATUS.

(Application filed June 22, 1901.)

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(N0 Model.)

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.r rrri STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

HENRY HUINGS HUFF, OF BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF TVO- THIRDS TO ARTHUR D. CURRAN AND SMITH P. BURTON, JR, OF BOSTON,

MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOizilit'TlC VARBABLE EXi -iAUST APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,639, dated. April 1, 1902.

Application filed June 22,1901.

T0 aZZ whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY Homes Herr, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Variable-Exhaust Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to locomotives or other steam-engines having the exhaust-pipes of the cylinders terminating in a smoke-box and arranged to conduct and discharge the exhaust-steam into a draft-pipe between said exhaust and the smoke-stack in the usual manner.

The invention relates more especially to engines of the class above-mentioned which are provided with means for diverting a portion of the exhaust steam from the exhaust-passage at a point between the cylinder and the exhaust-nozzle, so that the volume of steam from said outlet may be diminished or increased under varying conditions of the operation of the engine.

The invention has for its object to provide means whereby the exhaust-steam abovementioned may be diverted either automatically or manually to. diminish the draft when the latter is excessive and to restore the full volume of the exhaust when the draft is insuflicient.

To these ends the invention consists in the improvement which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

represents a pressure-valve hereinafter described.

In the drawings, a, Fig. 1, represents the boiler, 12 the saddle, c the cylinder, d the smoke-box, and c the smoke-stack, of a locomotive as commonly constructed.

Serial No. 65,597. (No model.)

The saddle b, to which the cylinders are affixed, is provided with exhaustpassages 2 2,

intermediate of the cylinders and the exhaust nozzle or nozzles 3 3. Leading from said exhaust-passages 2 2 in the saddle b are pipes 4.- 4, connecting and terminating in cylinders 5 5. A branch pipe (5 connects the pipes 44, and valves 14. are interposed between the cylinders 5 5 and the exhaust-passages 2 2, the arrangement being such that the cylinders and branch pipe may be connected with or disconnected from the exhaust-passages, according to the varying conditions of pressure of steam in the boiler.

The device as thus far described is the same in principle and operation as that shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 652,963, granted to me July 3,1900, to which reference may be had.

The valves 14 are arranged to be operated by steam-pressure or by hand, preferably by the former, and are adapted to close the pipes 4 t between the exhaust-passages and the cylinders when the engine is working lightly at high speed and needs a stronger draft on the fire and to open when the pressure of steam in the boiler is near its maximum, at which time less draft is needed.

. The valves as a whole are represented in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 and in detail in Figs. 5 and 6.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, 8 represents the casing, the upper end of which is provided with a boss or neck 9, which is screw-threaded to receive a cylindrical extension 10, said extension being bored outto receive a piston 11 and a spindle or stem 12. A chamber 13 is provided in the valve-casing adapted to contain a valve let, said valve being suitably secured to the lower reduced end of the stem, as best shown in Fig. 5. The piston 11 is adapted to bear at its upper end against a shoulder 15, formed by the enlarged upper portion of the stem, and is provided with a reduced lower portion 16, which arrangement provides a chamber 17 for the admission of steam through a pipe 18, which leads from the boiler. The lower end of the piston rests upon an annular disk 19 in a chamber 20, formed in the lower end of the extension 10,

said disk resting upon a suitable packing ring 20, interposed between the disk 19 and a disk 21 in a counterbore formed in the upper end of the neck 0, which arrangement provides a suitable stuffing-box and a support for the piston at the lower end of the extension 10. When steam is admitted through the pipe 18, the piston is forced upwardly until the head 11 thereof has reached the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 6, at which point the lower edge of the piston will uncover the opening 21, formed in the side of the cylinder 10, which allows the steam to escape therethrough and out of an exhaustpipe 22 and prevents the further upward movement of the piston, the stem and its attached valve 14 being raised sufficieutly to open the passage through the pipe 4 t0 the reservoirs 5, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6.

In order to prevent a too sudden rising of the valve 14 upon the admission of steam to the cylinder 10 under the piston 11, I provide an opening 23, Fig. 5, connecting with av cook 24, interposed between said opening and the exhaust-pipe 22 and being suitably connected therewith, the arrangement being such that the cock may be opened sufficiently to permit the escape of the steam not required to gradually raise the piston. The admission of steam to the cylinder extension 10 to raise the piston and thereby the valve is controlled by a valve 24, suitably connected with the boiler and the pipe 18. Said valve is of common construction and consists of a casing 25, having a valve 26, held to its seat by a spring 27 and an adjusting-screw 28, adapted to vary the pressure of the spring upon the valve, so that the latter may be adapted to be raised at a given pressure to permit steam to pass from the boiler through the pipe 18 to the piston 11, as shown in Fig. 7.

The valve may be adjusted to rise from its seat at preferably five pounds below the maximum boiler-pressure, the latter being the pressure sought to be maintained under working conditions, the arrangement being such that so long as the pressure is maintained in the boiler sufficient to raise the valve 14 the exhaust of the engine is partially diverted from the exhaust-nozzles and the draft on the fire thereby reduced. If new the said reduction of the exhaust through the draft-pipe of the engine be reduced by the conditions just described and the draft upon the fire be insufficient to maintain the steampressure, the valve 26 willbe closed upon its seat, and the pressure under the piston 11 being discontinued the valve 14 will close by gravitation, (the latter with its connected stem being arranged to move freely in the casing 8 and extension 10,) so that the entire exhaust is allowed to pass through the draftpipe until pressure in the boiler increases sufficiently to repeat the operation of the device, as described.

I have provided means whereby, if desired, I may raise the valves 14 independently of the steam-pressure, said means consisting of a collar 27, adjustably secured to the upper end of the stem 12, and a collar 28, loosely 7o surrounding said stem and provided with lugs 29, adapted to engage the forked end of an arm 30, secured to a rod 31. An arm 32 is connected to said rod, its free end being connected to a rod 33, the other end of which is connected to a lever 34, located, preferably, in the cab or at any point whereby the operator may have convenient access thereto, so that should it be necessary to divert a minimum portion of the exhaust independently of the steam-operated devices it can be accomplished.

It will be seen that the devices just described for raising the valve 14 manually do not interfere with the operation of the steam operating means, as the valve will be raised to its full limit should the pressure in the boiler warrant it.

I claim 1. The combination with the cylinders, ex- 0 the exhaust-passages and the reservoirs, and 5 means for manually operating said valve.

2. The combination with the cylinders, exhaust-passages, and the pipes connecting the exhaust-passages with the reservoirs, of a valve-casing having a cylindrical extension adapted to contain a piston, a valve in said valve-casing, and connections between said valve and piston whereby the valve may be opened.

3. The combination with the boiler and reservoirs, the pipes connecting the reservoirs with the exhaust-passages and exhaust-nozzles, a valve-casing having a cylindrical extension, a piston in said extension, a valve adapted to control communication between the reservoirs and exhaust-passages and connected with said piston, and means for the admission of steam from the boiler to the cylindrical extension of the valve-casing whereby the valve may be opened, as set forth.

4. The combination with the boiler a, the valve-casing S, the valve 14, the piston 11, the stem 12, connecting the valve and piston of a valve 25, adapted to open and admit steam from the boiler to the piston 11 at a predetermined pressure of the steam in the boiler and to close when said pressure is reduced, connections, as the pipe 18, between the valve 25 and the cylindrical extension'lO, means for permitting the escape of steam from the cylinder 10 after the piston has been raised, and means for regulating the pressure of steam upon the piston, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have afi'ixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY HUINGS HUFF. u

Witnesses:

HORACE BROWN, 0. O. STEOHER. 

